The 1990 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election was held on 23 June 1990 in Calgary,

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

. The party chose former

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president ...

Jean Chrétien as its new leader, replacing the outgoing leader, former

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

John Turner John Napier Wyndham Turner (June 7, 1929September 19, 2020) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 17th prime minister of Canada from June to September 1984. He served as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and leader of t ...

Candidates

Sheila Copps Sheila Maureen Copps (born November 27, 1952) is a former Canadian politician who also served as the sixth deputy prime minister of Canada from November 4, 1993, to April 30, 1996, and June 19, 1996, to June 11, 1997. Her father, Victor Copps, ...

, 37, Member of Parliament for Hamilton East since 1984 and was the Opposition Critic for the Environment and Social Policy. She had been a Member of Provincial Parliament in Ontario from 1981 to 1984 before entering federal politics and had run for the

leadership Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets vi ...

of the

Ontario Liberal Party The Ontario Liberal Party (OLP; french: Parti libéral de l'Ontario, PLO) is a political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. The party has been led by interim leader John Fraser since August 2022. The party espouses the principles of li ...

, placing second. * Jean Chrétien, 56, had placed second to Turner at the 1984 Liberal leadership convention. He had been MP for Saint-Maurice, Quebec from 1963 until 1986 and had served as a junior cabinet minister under Lester Pearson and had several senior portfolios under Pierre Trudeau including Industry Minister, Finance Minister, Energy Minister, and Justice Minister and was the minister responsible for constitutional negotiations from 1980 to 1982 when the

Constitution of Canada The Constitution of Canada (french: Constitution du Canada) is the supreme law in Canada. It outlines Canada's system of government and the civil and human rights of those who are citizens of Canada and non-citizens in Canada. Its contents a ...

was patriated and the

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms The ''Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms'' (french: Charte canadienne des droits et libertés), often simply referred to as the ''Charter'' in Canada, is a bill of rights entrenched in the Constitution of Canada, forming the first part ...

negotiated and ratified. He served as Minister of External Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister under Turner's short-lived government. Supporters in caucus:

Jack Anawak Jack Iyerak Anawak (born September 26, 1950) is a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Nunatsiaq in the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 to 1997. He sat in the house as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. Foll ...

Mark Assad Mark Joseph Assad (born June 14, 1940) is a Canadian politician who is a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. He was a member of the House of Commons of Canada representing Gatineau from 1997 to 2004, and represented Gatineau—La Lièvre from ...

, George Baker,

Réginald Bélair Réginald Bélair (April 6, 1949 – March 3, 2020) was a Canadian politician. Bélair was a Liberal member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 to 2004, representing the riding of Cochrane—Superior until 1997 and subsequently Timmi ...

, David Berger, Charles Caccia,

Coline Campbell Coline M. Campbell (born 26 September 1940) is a former member of the House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Cro ...

Rex Crawford Rex Crawford (25 February 1932 – 20 July 2022) was a Canadian politician who was a member of the House of Commons from 1988 to 1997. By career, he was a farmer. Born in Detroit, Michigan, he first campaigned for a seat in Canadian Parliament ...

, Keith Davey (Senator),

David Dingwall David Charles Dingwall (born June 29, 1952) is a Canadian administrator, former Canadian Cabinet minister and civil servant. He is the president of Cape Breton University. Political career A lawyer by training, Dingwall was first elected to ...

Maurice Dionne Maurice Dionne (1936 in Bath, New Brunswick – November 17, 2003, in Miramichi, New Brunswick) was an educator and politician in the Miramichi River Valley of New Brunswick, Canada. Dionne attended teacher's college and taught in a variety of ...

Ronald Duhamel Ronald J. Duhamel, (March 2, 1938 – September 30, 2002) was a Canadian Member of Parliament and Senator. Biography Ronald Duhamel was born in Saint Boniface, Manitoba, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Lakehead University and a M ...

Sheila Finestone Sheila Abbey Finestone, (January 28, 1927 – June 8, 2009) was a Canadian Member of Parliament and Senator. Early life Born in Montreal, Quebec, the daughter of Minnie Cummings Abbey and Monroe Abbey. Her father was a president of the Ca ...

, Maurice Foster,

Beryl Gaffney Beryl Gaffney (born April 1, 1930) is a Canadian former politician and public servant. She served as a city councillor in Nepean, Ontario from 1978 to 1988 serving concurrently on the council of the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton. Born ...

, Alfonso Gagliano,

Mac Harb Mac Harb (born November 10, 1953) is a Canadian former politician, who served successively in local Ottawa positions, as a Member of the House of Commons, and as a Senator for Ontario.J. Patrick Boyer. ''Our Scandalous Senate'' Volume 1 of Poin ...

, Bob Kaplan,

Jim Karygiannis James Karygiannis ( ; el, Δημήτρης Καρύγιαννης, Dimítris Karýgiannis, ; born May 2, 1955) is a Canadian former politician. He formerly served in the House of Commons of Canada as a Liberal MP from 1988 to 2014, and as memb ...

, Leo Kolber (Senator), Derek Lee,

Lawrence MacAulay Lawrence A. MacAulay (born September 9, 1946) is a Canadian politician, who has represented the riding of Cardigan, Prince Edward Island in the House of Commons since 1988. On June 11, 1997, he joined the cabinet of Prime Minister Jean Chré ...

, Roy MacLaren,

Shirley Maheu Shirley Maheu (October 7, 1931 – February 1, 2006) was a Canadian politician. A resident of Saint-Laurent, Quebec since 1965, where she operated a successful insurance brokerage firm in partnership with her husband Renė Maheu, Senator M ...

, Sergio Marchi,

Peter Milliken Peter Andrew Stewart Milliken (born November 12, 1946) is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He was a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 until his retirement in 2011 and served as Speaker of the House for 10 years beginning in 20 ...

Dennis Mills Dennis Joseph Mills (born July 19, 1946) is a Canadian businessman and former politician. He was a Liberal Member of Parliament for the riding of Toronto—Danforth in the east-end of downtown Toronto. From February 2012 until November 2016, M ...

Rey Pagtakhan Rey D. Pagtakhan, (born January 7, 1935) is a Canadian physician, professor and politician. He was a cabinet minister in the governments of Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin, and served as a Member of Parliament from 1988 until his defeat in th ...

Gilbert Parent Gilbert "Gib" Parent (July 25, 1935 – March 3, 2009) was a Canadian member of Parliament. He is best known in his role as speaker of the House of Commons of Canada between 1994 and 2001. Parent was born on July 25, 1935, in Mattawa, Ontario, ...

George Proud George Albert Proud (9 April 1939 – 23 October 2019) was a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 to 2000. Proud was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. From 1974 to 1979, he was a provincial politician in the Legislative ...

Pietro Rizzuto Pietro Rizzuto (March 18, 1934 – August 3, 1997) (; was a Canadian politician. Born in Cattolica Eraclea, Italy, he came to Canada at the age of 20. In 1963, he founded Inter State Paving Inc., a construction company. In 1976, he was app ...

(Senator),

Fernand Robichaud Fernand Robichaud (born December 2, 1939) is a Canadian politician. He was born in Shippagan, New Brunswick and received a teaching certificate from the Moncton Technical Institute. Before entering politics, Robichaud was a teacher and busine ...

Bill Rompkey William Hubert Rompkey (May 13, 1936 – March 21, 2017) was a Canadian educator who served as member of Parliament from 1972 to 1995 and a senator from 1995 to 2011. Early life and education Rompkey was born in Belleoram, Fortune Bay, Newfound ...

Roger Simmons Roger Cyril Simmons, (born June 3, 1939) is a Canadian public policy consultant and former politician and diplomat. Simmons is originally from Newfoundland and Labrador, where he was a politician for many years. He was later based at the Vancou ...

, Brian Tobin, Lyle Vanclief, Bob Wood *

Paul Martin Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006. The son o ...

, 51, MP for

LaSalle—Émard LaSalle—Émard was a federal electoral district in the Canadian province of Quebec that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 to 2015. Its population in 2001 was 99,767. The MP from 1988 to 2008 was Paul Martin, who s ...

, Quebec since 1988 and was the Opposition Critic for Treasury Board, Housing, and Urban Affairs; former president and CEO of

Canada Steamship Lines Canada Steamship Lines (CSL) is a shipping company with headquarters in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The business has been operating for well over a century and a half. Beginnings CSL had humble beginnings in Canada East in 1845, operating river b ...

. Supporters in caucus:

Maurizio Bevilacqua Maurizio Bevilacqua (; born June 1, 1960) is a Canadian politician who was mayor of Vaughan from 2010 to 2022. He was a Liberal member of Parliament (MP) from 1988 to 2010 and was one of eleven candidates for the 2006 leadership contest, but d ...

, Jesse Flis,

Albina Guarnieri Albina Guarnieri (born June 23, 1953) is a former Canadian politician. She was a Liberal member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 to 2011 who represented the Greater Toronto Area ridings of Mississauga East and Mississauga East—Co ...

Jean Lapierre Jean-Charles Lapierre (May 7, 1956 – March 29, 2016) was a Canadian politician and television and radio broadcaster. After retiring from the government in 2007, he served as a political analyst in a variety of venues. He was Paul Martin's Qu ...

Jim Peterson James Scott Peterson (born July 30, 1941) is a retired Canadian politician. He was a Liberal member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1980 to 1984 and again from 1988 to 2007 who represented the northern Toronto riding of Willowdale. He ...

, Gilles Rocheleau,

Joe Volpe Giuseppe "Joe" Volpe (born September 21, 1947) is a Canadian politician. He represented the Ontario riding of Eglinton-Lawrence as a member of the Liberal Party in the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 until 2011, when he lost his seat t ...

* John Nunziata, 35, MP for York South—Weston, Toronto, since 1984, and was Opposition Critic for the Solicitor General. Supporters in caucus: John Nunziata *

Tom Wappel Thomas William Wappel (born February 9, 1950) is a Canadians, Canadian politician. He was a Liberal Party of Canada, Liberal member of the House of Commons of Canada, House of Commons from 1988 to 2008, representing the Toronto riding of Scarb ...

, 40, MP for Scarborough West since 1988, was the Associate Opposition Critic for Immigration. An anti-abortion campaigner, he was supported by the

Campaign Life Coalition The Campaign Life Coalition (sometimes shortened to Campaign Life) is a Canadian political lobbyist organization founded in 1978. Based in Hamilton, Ontario, the organization advocates for socially conservative values. Campaign Life Coalition opp ...

. Supporters in caucus:

(Sources used: "30 MPs endorse Chrétien", ''Toronto Star'', 24 January 1990; Shelley Page, "Liberal MPs jockey for favor with new boss over leadership", ''Toronto Star'', 22 May 1990; Geoff Pounsett, "Missing Meech deadline won't kill Canada: Chrétien", Kingston Whig-Standard, 28 May 1990, p. 2; Ross Howard, "Liberal candidates fight over Meech Chrétien scolded by Martin, Copps ", ''Globe and Mail'', 21 June 1990, A1; David Vienneau, "Martin says he'll run again", ''Toronto Star'', 25 June 1990.)

Withdrew

Clifford Lincoln Clifford Albert Lincoln (born September 1, 1928) is a Canadian politician who served as a member of the Quebec National Assembly, a provincial cabinet minister and a member of the House of Commons of Canada. Lincoln was born in Mauritius to ...

, 61, had been Quebec Minister of the Environment in the provincial Liberal government of Robert Bourassa until resigning due to a dispute over language policy. He announced his candidacy for the federal Liberal leadership but withdrew after he was defeated in his attempt to win a seat in the House of Commons in the February 12, 1990 Chambly

by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...

Declined to run

Herb Gray Herbert Eser Gray (May 25, 1931 – April 21, 2014) was a Canadian lawyer who became a prominent federal politician. He was a Liberal member of parliament for the Windsor area over the course of four decades, from 1962 to 2002, making Gray o ...

, 59, MP for

Windsor West Windsor West (french: Windsor-Ouest) is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1968. Geography The district consists of the part of the city of Windsor lying west an ...

since 1968. He ultimately decided against running, but served as the party's parliamentary leader from February until December 1990, when Chrétien won the Beauséjour by-election and returned to parliament.

Results

Notes and references

External links

A very bitter defeat, CBC Video
{{Liberal Party of Canada

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicist ...

1990 elections in Canada Liberal Party of Canada leadership election